ibug

Colouring filth!  IBUG is one of the most important festivals of urban art in Europe. Its name sums up its uniqueness.In German, the abbreviation IBUG stands for »industrial waste­land redesign«. Abandoned factories, empty warehouses, over­grown in­dus­trial sites – these are the venues of the festival, which attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year. International artists and a large team of volunteers use painting, graffiti, stencils, paste-ups, illustrations, installations, and multimedia art to transform the derelict sites into a positive utopia of possibilities. Guided tours, dis­cussions, workshops, and events provide a historical overview and engage visitors in places that once defined the city’s identity. Newly, the festival will also focus on what the future holds for the sites. In 2025, you’re invited to experience the festival’s 20th edition. To mark the anniversary, the team tracked down a very special place rich in industrial history - the site of the former Stadtpark hospital in Chemnitz.
Originally built as the Presto-Werke and later used by Auto-Union AG as its headquarters, the site was converted into a hospital after the Second World War. The so-called ‘Stadtpark Hospital’ provided medical care for Chemnitz and the region for over five decades. Since its closure in 1997, the complex has stood empty. Now it is undergoing a creative revitalisation.